explained the smell. She plucked the treasure from his fingertips and kissed his cheek. “Thanks. It’s beautiful.”
“Like you.” He touched a kiss to the tip of her nose.
He leaned over and jammed the key into the ignition. “Now. You were saying something about some printouts?”
Emma held the flower to her nose and inhaled. “Right. I found some papers in the trunk. I set them on top so I could call them to us. Maybe Cynthia knows whatever language they are. Looks Italian or Greek or—ah hell—who am I kidding? I’m not a linguist.” She held her palm out. “Papers.”
A soft glow brought the stack of five sheets.
“Amazing.” He steered the car onto the main street and settled back. “Why can’t I do that?”
“Get Cynthia to read these and maybe we’ll find out.” Emma rested her hand on his thigh.
“And you can only call what’s in the trunk or what you’ve seen.”
“Right. Only wish I could conjure things. That’d be wicked-cool, huh? If I’ve seen it, know pretty much where it is, I can get it. That’s why I’ve kept the trunk. It’s locked. Keeps my stuff safe.”
“Dagger and crossbow. Got it. So, the movies aren’t too far off with the stabbing to the heart when it comes to killing Vamps. Just the kind of weapon.”
“It’d be easier if it was wood. Just think how many stakes I could make. Only the Crossbow and Thantos dagger work. Gabriel said something about someone important blessing the weapons and that’s why they work when others won’t.” She rifled through the sheets. “I think there’s something about that here since there’s a dagger drawn on one of these.”
“Okay. Enough work talk.” He took the papers from her lap and set them on the floor behind his seat. “Flowers, movies, and friends for now, then—”
“Then lots of kissing and less clothes.” Emma’s body warmed at the idea of being close to Jake later. “You won. You bested me tonight. I don’t ever back out of a bet.”
SEVENTEEN
“Now I remember why I don’t go to the movies much anymore.” Dylan let out a long huff. “That sucked.”
Jake laughed and swung his and Emma’s clasped hand. “It did.”
“We’re parked over here.” Dylan pointed to the red sports car he’d picked Jake up in when he’d found him wandering that night.
“I’m sure there’s a coffee house open somewhere.” Cynthia fingered her watch. “Want to?”
“I better get back. Big psych test tomorrow,” Emma said and squeezed Jake’s hand. “I need a good night’s sleep.”
“And I’ve got to work on my paper due this Friday. I’ve been slacking.” Jake steered Emma two steps to the right, toward his car.
“Good, you’ll be ready for a monster-party on Friday. Celebrating the paper being done and your birthday.” Dylan held his fist to Jake.
Birthday. That was right. Jake’s twenty-fifth was on Saturday. With everything happening so fast since meeting Emma, he’d almost forgotten.
“No party needed. How ‘bout we all go out? Ava and Greg, too.” Jake knuckle bumped his friend.
“Oh, no.” Cynthia wagged a finger at Jake and Emma. “You’re going to be a quarter-century old. That’s a big deal. Demands celebrating.”
“Cynthia’s folks are still in Europe. The house is huge and empty. No better place. We’re doing this.” Dylan winked at Cynthia. “Can’t say no to this one, remember?”
“Might be fun.” Emma leaned into Jake. “More normal stuff. I could get used to this.”
“Normal?” Cynthia cocked her head to the side.
Jake wouldn’t have thought anyone could have heard Emma she talked so quietly. Nothing got past Cynthia.
“Oh.” Emma stood straight. “I was just meaning—things—well, with exams and junk. Things haven’t been so normal until tonight. This was fun. Friday would be, too.” She squeezed Jake’s hand. “But I thought your birthday was Saturday?”
“It is.”
Cynthia smiled and said, “But a tick after midnight on
“Like you.” He touched a kiss to the tip of her nose.
He leaned over and jammed the key into the ignition. “Now. You were saying something about some printouts?”
Emma held the flower to her nose and inhaled. “Right. I found some papers in the trunk. I set them on top so I could call them to us. Maybe Cynthia knows whatever language they are. Looks Italian or Greek or—ah hell—who am I kidding? I’m not a linguist.” She held her palm out. “Papers.”
A soft glow brought the stack of five sheets.
“Amazing.” He steered the car onto the main street and settled back. “Why can’t I do that?”
“Get Cynthia to read these and maybe we’ll find out.” Emma rested her hand on his thigh.
“And you can only call what’s in the trunk or what you’ve seen.”
“Right. Only wish I could conjure things. That’d be wicked-cool, huh? If I’ve seen it, know pretty much where it is, I can get it. That’s why I’ve kept the trunk. It’s locked. Keeps my stuff safe.”
“Dagger and crossbow. Got it. So, the movies aren’t too far off with the stabbing to the heart when it comes to killing Vamps. Just the kind of weapon.”
“It’d be easier if it was wood. Just think how many stakes I could make. Only the Crossbow and Thantos dagger work. Gabriel said something about someone important blessing the weapons and that’s why they work when others won’t.” She rifled through the sheets. “I think there’s something about that here since there’s a dagger drawn on one of these.”
“Okay. Enough work talk.” He took the papers from her lap and set them on the floor behind his seat. “Flowers, movies, and friends for now, then—”
“Then lots of kissing and less clothes.” Emma’s body warmed at the idea of being close to Jake later. “You won. You bested me tonight. I don’t ever back out of a bet.”
SEVENTEEN
“Now I remember why I don’t go to the movies much anymore.” Dylan let out a long huff. “That sucked.”
Jake laughed and swung his and Emma’s clasped hand. “It did.”
“We’re parked over here.” Dylan pointed to the red sports car he’d picked Jake up in when he’d found him wandering that night.
“I’m sure there’s a coffee house open somewhere.” Cynthia fingered her watch. “Want to?”
“I better get back. Big psych test tomorrow,” Emma said and squeezed Jake’s hand. “I need a good night’s sleep.”
“And I’ve got to work on my paper due this Friday. I’ve been slacking.” Jake steered Emma two steps to the right, toward his car.
“Good, you’ll be ready for a monster-party on Friday. Celebrating the paper being done and your birthday.” Dylan held his fist to Jake.
Birthday. That was right. Jake’s twenty-fifth was on Saturday. With everything happening so fast since meeting Emma, he’d almost forgotten.
“No party needed. How ‘bout we all go out? Ava and Greg, too.” Jake knuckle bumped his friend.
“Oh, no.” Cynthia wagged a finger at Jake and Emma. “You’re going to be a quarter-century old. That’s a big deal. Demands celebrating.”
“Cynthia’s folks are still in Europe. The house is huge and empty. No better place. We’re doing this.” Dylan winked at Cynthia. “Can’t say no to this one, remember?”
“Might be fun.” Emma leaned into Jake. “More normal stuff. I could get used to this.”
“Normal?” Cynthia cocked her head to the side.
Jake wouldn’t have thought anyone could have heard Emma she talked so quietly. Nothing got past Cynthia.
“Oh.” Emma stood straight. “I was just meaning—things—well, with exams and junk. Things haven’t been so normal until tonight. This was fun. Friday would be, too.” She squeezed Jake’s hand. “But I thought your birthday was Saturday?”
“It is.”
Cynthia smiled and said, “But a tick after midnight on
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